US4528579A - Ink-jet printer damping - Google Patents

Ink-jet printer damping Download PDF

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Publication number
US4528579A
US4528579A US06/558,339 US55833983A US4528579A US 4528579 A US4528579 A US 4528579A US 55833983 A US55833983 A US 55833983A US 4528579 A US4528579 A US 4528579A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
ink
duct
pressure wave
intermediate portion
terminal portion
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US06/558,339
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English (en)
Inventor
Riccardo Brescia
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TIM SpA
Original Assignee
Ing C Olivetti and C SpA
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Application filed by Ing C Olivetti and C SpA filed Critical Ing C Olivetti and C SpA
Assigned to ING. C. OLIVETTI & C., S.P.A. reassignment ING. C. OLIVETTI & C., S.P.A. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: BRESCIA, RICCARDO
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US4528579A publication Critical patent/US4528579A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/015—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process
    • B41J2/04—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand
    • B41J2/045—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers
    • B41J2/055—Devices for absorbing or preventing back-pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T29/00—Metal working
    • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
    • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to ink-jet printers and is particularly concerned with a printer comprising:
  • a duct communicating with the reservoir and filled with ink, the duct having a terminal portion provided with a nozzle for projecting the ink and an intermediate portion between the reservoir and the terminal portion,
  • transducer means associated with the terminal portion of the duct for generating a first pressure wave in the ink, which is directed towards the nozzle and causes a droplet of ink to be discharged through the nozzle, a second pressure wave associated with the first pressure wave being directed towards the intermediate portion of the duct, and
  • energy absorption means cooperating with the ink in the intermediate portion for substantially absorbing the energy of the second pressure wave.
  • This pressure wave which is propagated from the terminal portion of the duct towards the ink reservoir and will thus be referred to in the present description by the term reverse wave, is subject to reflection phenomena caused by discontinuities in the acoustic impedance normally present in the ink duct in the region between the terminal portion and the intermediate portion of the duct and particularly in the region between this duct and the reservoir. As a result of these reflections, the wave is propagated back towards the terminal portion of the duct where it interferes with the discharge of the ink droplets through the nozzle.
  • the problem behind the invention is that of providing a printer of the type specified above which does not have the disadvantages indicated above and has small dimensions.
  • the present invention provides a printer of the type specified above, characterised in that the energy absorption means comprise:
  • a printer is provided in which it is possible to achieve substantial absorption of the second pressure wave even with a very small bulk, and in which the absorption characteristics with respect to the wave are stable with variations in temperature.
  • the device according to the invention in which the terminal portion of the duct has a predetermined acoustic impedance, is further characterised in that the wall of the container which is resiliently deformable under the action of the second pressure wave has a resilience such that the intermediate portion of the duct has an acoustic impedance adapted to the acoustic impedance characteristic of the terminal portion of the duct.
  • the adaptation of the acoustic impedance of the intermediate portion of the duct to the acoustic impedance of the terminal portion of the duct is achieved, therefore, by the choice of the material and dimensions of the resiliently deformable wall of the container, while the function of damping the "reverse" pressure wave is fulfilled essentially by the viscous liquid.
  • FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a printer according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view illustrating a variant of the printer of FIG. 1.
  • a reservoir is indicated 1 and is filled with ink 2.
  • ink is to be interpreted in the present description and in the following claims as referring to any liquid which can be used for a printing or writing process.
  • a duct generally indicated 3, communicates at one end with the reservoir 1 and is thus full of ink 2.
  • the duct 3 has a terminal portion 4 with an approximately constant cross-section over its entire length, which ends in a nozzle 5 having a capillary orifice 6 through which the ink in the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3 may be discharged from the printer in the form of droplets, in the manner which will be more fully described below.
  • the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3 is normally formed of a material, such as glass, which enables the terminal portion 4 itself to be given a certain rigidity.
  • An electro-acoustic transducer 7 of annular form surrounds the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3 and is fixed to the glass wall of this portion so as to transmit mechanical forces to the wall itself.
  • the transducer 7 is constituted by a radially-polarised piezoelectric ceramic element.
  • the transducer 7, which is of a known type, has excitation electrodes (not illustrated) through which the transducer 7 can be given an electric excitation pulse, for example, a cosine square pulse.
  • the transducer 7 contracts so that its internal diameter is reduced. This reduction of the diameter of the transducer 7 corresponds to the transmission of a compression wave to the wall of the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3.
  • a first pressure wave is propagated towards the nozzle 5, causing the discharge of a droplet of ink through the orifice 6.
  • a second pressure wave is propagated towards the portion of the duct 3 between the reservoir 1 and the terminal portion 4. This intermediate portion is generally indicated 8.
  • this second pressure wave (reverse wave) is subjected to reflection due to the surface discontinuities of the inner wall of the duct 3.
  • Discontinuities of this type are present in the region between the terminal portion 4 and the intermediate portion 8 of the duct 3, since the intermediate portion 8, which acts as a portion for supplying ink to the terminal portion, is normally formed of a material (for example, a flexible material) different from that used for forming the terminal portion. Even more considerable reflections occur in the region between the duct 3 and the ink reservoir 1.
  • the reverse wave "bounces back" towards the terminal portion 4 and the nozzle 5. This rebound may result in the undesirable discharge of a droplet of ink from the orifice 6. Even when this does not occur, the reverse wave reflected towards the nozzle interferes with the discharge of a new droplet of ink from the orifice 6 when this discharge is effected by excitation of the transducer 7. This interference has a harmful influence on the speed characteristics of the printer.
  • this phenomenon is eliminated by achieving a substantial absorption of the energy of the reverse wave in the intermediate portion 8 of the duct 3, and by making the acoustic impedance of the intermediate portion 8 as to match the acoustic impedance of the terminal portion 4 so as to eliminate the reflections which occur in the region between these two portions.
  • a tube of resilient material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), indicated 9, is fitted at one end to the end of the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3 opposite the nozzle 5. At its opposite end the tube 9 is connected directly to the ink reservoir 1.
  • PVC polyvinyl chloride
  • the material of the tube 9 and its dimension (length, internal diameter and wall thickness) are selected so that the acoustic impedance of the duct defined by the tube 9 matches the acoustic impedance of the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3. As described above, this allows the elimination of the reflections which occur in the region between the two portions of the duct 3.
  • the choice of the resilient material constituting the tube 9 and its dimensions may easily be carried out by taking into account the fact that the acoustic impedance Z.sub. ⁇ of the duct defined by this tube can be expressed by means of an equation of the type ##EQU1## where ⁇ is the density of the liquid (ink) within the duct, C 0 is the speed of sound in this liquid, a is the radius of the internal cavity of the duct, b is the outer radius of the duct, ⁇ is the Poisson modulus, and E 1 and E 2 are the elastic modulus of the liquid in the duct and the elastic modulus of the material forming the wall of the duct, respectively.
  • a further refinement of the degree of matching of the acoustic impedance of the two portions 4, 8 of the duct 3 may be achieved experimentally.
  • a sleeve 10 of rigid or resilient material is fitted onto the tube 9 so as to define an annular chamber around the tube 9 closed at its ends by two end caps, one 11 of which is rigid with the reservoir 1 and the other 12 of which is fixed to a support S intended to support the terminal portion 4 of the ink duct 3 in its position of use.
  • the sleeve 10 and the annular caps 11 and 12 thus define a container the inner wall of which is constituted by the resiliently deformable wall of the tube 9.
  • This container therefore has one wall which is in contact with the ink in the intermediate portion of the duct 3 and deform resiliently under the action of the reverse pressure wave generated when the transducer 7 is excited to cause the discharge of a droplet of ink through the orifice 6 of the nozzle 5.
  • the tube 9 has a diameter slightly less than 1 mm and the diameter of the sleeve 10 is selected so that the annular chamber between this sleeve and the tube 9 has a radial width of about 1/10th mm.
  • This annular chamber is filled with a viscous fluid 13, such as viscostatic oil or a silicone oil. Depending on the droplet size, a satisfactory viscous effect may also be achieved by using a gaseous viscous fluid.
  • a viscous fluid such as viscostatic oil or a silicone oil.
  • the arrangement described is such that the resilient energy of the reverse pressure wave is propagated through the ink in the tube 9 and is transmitted by the resiliently deformable wall of the tube 9 to the viscous fluid 13. This elastic energy is then dissipated as a result of the displacements of the viscous fluid caused by the deformation of the resilient wall of the tube 9.
  • damping means described achieve an absorbing action both on the reverse wave which is propagated towards the reservoir 1 in the intermediate portion 8 of the duct 3 and on the fraction of this wave which rebounds towards the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3 as a result of reflections of this wave in the region between the duct 3 and the reservoir 1.
  • the resilient material constituting the tube 9 and the dimensions of the tube 9 itself have been selected so as to obtain an acoustic impedance of the intermediate portion 8 of the duct 3 adapted to the acoustic impedance of the terminal portion 4 of the duct, it is then possible to select the characteristics of the viscosity of the fluid constituting the filling 13 so as to obtain a high level of damping of the reverse wave, even in printers in which the intermediate portion 8 of the duct 3 has a small length. This allows the overall dimensions of the printer to be reduced considerably.
  • the sleeve 10 may also be made of resilient material. In order to make the acoustic impedance of the intermediate portion 8 of the duct 3 matching the acoustic impedance of the terminal portion 4 of the duct 3, it is thus also possible to change the elasticity and dimensions of the sleeve 10.
  • the damping characteristics of the viscous fluid 13 are improved by providing a tubular element 14 of rigid or semi-rigid material in the cavity between the sleeve 10 and the tube 9, it being supported at its ends by the annular caps 11 and 12.
  • the tubular element 14 constitutes a partition which divides the annular chamber filled with the viscous fluid 13 into two coaxial sections.
  • Holes 15 are provided in the wall of the tubular element 14 through which the viscous fluid 13 may be drawn from one section of the annular chamber to the other.
  • the tubular element 14 is constituted by a stainless steel tube having a thickness of about 1/4 mm.
  • the dimensions of the sleeve 10 and the tubular element 14 are normally chosen so that the annular sections of the chamber containing the viscous fluid 13 each have a radial width of about 1/8 mm.

Landscapes

  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
US06/558,339 1982-12-03 1983-12-05 Ink-jet printer damping Expired - Fee Related US4528579A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT68423/82A IT1157118B (it) 1982-12-03 1982-12-03 Dispositivo stampante a getto di inchiostro
IT68423A/82 1982-12-03

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4528579A true US4528579A (en) 1985-07-09

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ID=11309362

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US06/558,339 Expired - Fee Related US4528579A (en) 1982-12-03 1983-12-05 Ink-jet printer damping

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4528579A (fr)
EP (1) EP0110841B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPS59114065A (fr)
DE (1) DE3372338D1 (fr)
IT (1) IT1157118B (fr)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4630072A (en) * 1984-01-20 1986-12-16 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Jet printing apparatus
US4743924A (en) * 1985-05-02 1988-05-10 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Control circuit for an ink jet printing element and a method of dimensioning and manufacture relating thereto
US4783670A (en) * 1986-02-26 1988-11-08 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Ink jet print head and manufacture thereof
US4800403A (en) * 1986-09-05 1989-01-24 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Method and apparatus for restoring operation of ink jet printing nozzles
WO1989002577A1 (fr) * 1987-09-09 1989-03-23 Spectra, Inc. Range de buses de jet d'encre
US4834637A (en) * 1983-02-08 1989-05-30 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Manufacture of tubular elements for ink jet printers
US5699093A (en) * 1992-10-07 1997-12-16 Hslc Technology Associates Inc Ink jet print head
US6296811B1 (en) 1998-12-10 2001-10-02 Aurora Biosciences Corporation Fluid dispenser and dispensing methods
US6705716B2 (en) * 2001-10-11 2004-03-16 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Thermal ink jet printer for printing an image on a receiver and method of assembling the printer
US20050006417A1 (en) * 2003-04-30 2005-01-13 David Nicol Method and system for precise dispensation of a liquid
US20060207332A1 (en) * 2005-03-15 2006-09-21 Oce-Technologies B.V. Piezo inkjet printer
DE102005025640A1 (de) * 2005-06-03 2006-12-07 Scienion Ag Mikrodispenser und zugehöriges Betriebsverfahren

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4734706A (en) * 1986-03-10 1988-03-29 Tektronix, Inc. Film-protected print head for an ink jet printer or the like
JP4776709B2 (ja) * 2009-05-19 2011-09-21 有限会社茂住表具店 折畳み式パネル連結体

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3683212A (en) * 1970-09-09 1972-08-08 Clevite Corp Pulsed droplet ejecting system
US3832579A (en) * 1973-02-07 1974-08-27 Gould Inc Pulsed droplet ejecting system
US4354197A (en) * 1980-10-03 1982-10-12 Ncr Corporation Ink jet printer drive means
US4417259A (en) * 1981-02-04 1983-11-22 Sanyo Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Method of preventing ink clogging in ink droplet projecting device, an ink droplet projecting device, and an ink jet printer

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4060812A (en) * 1976-11-15 1977-11-29 International Business Machines Corporation Nozzle for an ink jet printer
CA1162973A (fr) * 1980-09-11 1984-02-28 William J. Debonte Methode et dispositifs de synchronisation de jets d'encre

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3683212A (en) * 1970-09-09 1972-08-08 Clevite Corp Pulsed droplet ejecting system
US3832579A (en) * 1973-02-07 1974-08-27 Gould Inc Pulsed droplet ejecting system
US4354197A (en) * 1980-10-03 1982-10-12 Ncr Corporation Ink jet printer drive means
US4417259A (en) * 1981-02-04 1983-11-22 Sanyo Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Method of preventing ink clogging in ink droplet projecting device, an ink droplet projecting device, and an ink jet printer

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4834637A (en) * 1983-02-08 1989-05-30 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Manufacture of tubular elements for ink jet printers
US4630072A (en) * 1984-01-20 1986-12-16 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Jet printing apparatus
US4743924A (en) * 1985-05-02 1988-05-10 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Control circuit for an ink jet printing element and a method of dimensioning and manufacture relating thereto
US4783670A (en) * 1986-02-26 1988-11-08 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Ink jet print head and manufacture thereof
US4800403A (en) * 1986-09-05 1989-01-24 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.P.A. Method and apparatus for restoring operation of ink jet printing nozzles
WO1989002577A1 (fr) * 1987-09-09 1989-03-23 Spectra, Inc. Range de buses de jet d'encre
US4835554A (en) * 1987-09-09 1989-05-30 Spectra, Inc. Ink jet array
US5699093A (en) * 1992-10-07 1997-12-16 Hslc Technology Associates Inc Ink jet print head
US20050032242A1 (en) * 1998-12-10 2005-02-10 Aurora Discovery, Inc. Fluid dispenser and dispensing methods
US6296811B1 (en) 1998-12-10 2001-10-02 Aurora Biosciences Corporation Fluid dispenser and dispensing methods
US6705716B2 (en) * 2001-10-11 2004-03-16 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Thermal ink jet printer for printing an image on a receiver and method of assembling the printer
US20050006417A1 (en) * 2003-04-30 2005-01-13 David Nicol Method and system for precise dispensation of a liquid
EP1618060A4 (fr) * 2003-04-30 2007-03-21 Aurora Discovery Inc Procede et systeme de distribution precise d'un liquide
US7258253B2 (en) * 2003-04-30 2007-08-21 Aurora Discovery, Inc. Method and system for precise dispensation of a liquid
US20070289992A1 (en) * 2003-04-30 2007-12-20 Aurora Discovery, Inc. Method and system for precise dispensation of a liquid
US20060207332A1 (en) * 2005-03-15 2006-09-21 Oce-Technologies B.V. Piezo inkjet printer
US7398689B2 (en) * 2005-03-15 2008-07-15 Oce-Technologies B.V. Piezo inkjet printer
DE102005025640A1 (de) * 2005-06-03 2006-12-07 Scienion Ag Mikrodispenser und zugehöriges Betriebsverfahren
US20090060793A1 (en) * 2005-06-03 2009-03-05 Scienion Ag Microdispenser and associated operating method
US8273307B2 (en) 2005-06-03 2012-09-25 Scienion Ag Microdispenser and associated operating method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS59114065A (ja) 1984-06-30
EP0110841B1 (fr) 1987-07-08
EP0110841A2 (fr) 1984-06-13
IT8268423A1 (it) 1984-06-03
DE3372338D1 (en) 1987-08-13
IT1157118B (it) 1987-02-11
IT8268423A0 (it) 1982-12-03
EP0110841A3 (en) 1985-04-10

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Owner name: ING. C. OLIVETTI & C., S.P.A., VIA G. JERVIS 77, 1

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